The Pleasure of doing nothing.
I don't know about you, but for me it is crucial to have at least one day every week completely free from any digital screens and other technology. It is therefore a real pleasure to have a dedicated place where I can get away from everything after about an hour and a half of driving from where I currently live in Stavanger, Norway.
As a passionate workaholic, it is always tempting to work more. However, at the end of the day it’s the amount of value created and not the number of hours spent in front of the computer screen that matters. I am sure many of you have also been guilty in the past of failing to give the mind some needed rest. Especially as an entrepreneur who loves ideas and exploring new opportunities, it can be difficult sometimes to simply stop thinking. However, it doesn't take much life experience to notice how the quality of thought and productivity quickly goes down when the mind fails to be at peace, or worse, gets burned out. It has therefore been a big change in my life to not only realize the importance to periodically disconnect (I am sure we all know that we “should” do so), but to also be systematic and disciplined about it and have a full day completely away from any screens, as well as at least half an hour before heading to bed.
Before I would have quickly felt the need to do something to add value. Whether it was during my time working in the space sector where I felt that I could always learn more about the latest developments, or do something to advance my career, or now that I am working on my own blockchain business where there are always an infinite number of things to do. Being on Steem has perhaps made this even worse, where every minute spent doing something else has an opportunity cost since you're not posting content, curating or doing something else to earn tokens. However, after seeing just how much more productive I’ve been since making it a systematic habit to disconnect, simply reminding myself how time spent disconnected is also time invested in making the following work week more productive, it’s been so much easier to let go of thoughts and to be more present to simply enjoy doing nothing!
So I'm curious to hear about your experiences? Do you have a dedicated space where you go to disconnect? Or a dedicated and time-locked period everyday, or every week, where you purposefully remove yourself from work and older distractions? If so, how do you do it and what changes have you experienced in your own life? I think this is one area where we can all learn from each other, since no matter who you are or what you do, this affect you and your well-being!
Oh, and the dog doesn't mind this place either ;)
I hope you have all had a great weekend and as always take care!
Fredrik / @fredrikaa
Dude, that view is perfect.
I admire your discipline in taking yourself away from screens, and ultimately, stress.
Screens (and communication that way) are (sadly) so intrinsic to my video work and family life. I can’t imagine a day where I’m not connected to what’s going on at home with my family in some way or another, but I wish that wasn’t always the case!
I’ll aim to follow in your footsteps though, and be mindful of opportunities where I can disconnect to recharge.
The irony.
I must say I’m currently experiencing an period of inspiration fatigue - perhaps burnt out, uninspired, a bit humdrum.
Great to see that you’re both working hard and relaxing in good measure my friend!
Ace to see younposting.
I know! Was just blown away by it every minute. I wasn't always good at it, but I soon realized how necessary it is for me in order to produce at the top level. So I've made it a habit, and time-lock periods in the day that are dedicated to not looking at screens! :P
I can relate to how it still is and feels like an essential part. For me, I've had to look for substitutes. I now set aside time to answer emails, and write content for my blog and for our business that I do 95% through voice-to-text recording, including all my posts through Appics recently. This way, I can do things that previously required me to sit in front of a screen while going for a walk with the dog instead (it still takes a few minutes editing the final text in Google Docs on the PC, but 95% is already done through voice).
I think a systematic approach to building up the day around health and fitness first, to enable better work, is essential not only for ones own well-being, but also for productivity and thus ultimately success.
I encourage you to give it a go! And don't hesitate to ask if you want some advice :). I've been nerding this subject a lot to find out what could work the best for me recently! :P
Yes!!! This is why I go hiking and running! I need to get away to recharge as well as drawing! That place is gorgeous
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Good for you! :) We all know we "should", but it really has to be something we systematically set off time for.
I had this realization (about stepping away from the keyboard) again recently, when an old thumb injury acted up, and I stayed mostly offline for a few days. I say mostly because I finally found the time to read an e-book series written by a friend, so I did have a screen in front of my face, but it's such a different experience when it's reading a novel. When I noticed how relaxed I was, and how many different writing ideas were popping into my head, I knew it was time to change things up...
While I don't have such an awesomesauce place to retreat to, hubby & I have talked about making it a point again to put down our screens at least a half hour before bed, having a cup of tea together, and just relaxing. We managed a couple of nights in the past two weeks (LOL!), but I'm already noticing a positive difference in our stress levels.
Oh, and cute doggy!
I used to have a special “spot” in the forest around my home that I would hike to each day and just mediate for lack of a better word. I would take the time to disconnect and reflect.. after the move it’s been hard to find a new place, and find myself noticing differences in my own attitude due to it.. but my search continues. I think we as humans all need that time, it’s essential.
My view (and beverage) isn’t too bad right now though. Glad you are giving yourself the needed time 🙂
That doesn't look half bad! What's in the cup? ;)
Yeah, I think we all know we should give ourselves this time, and occasionally do. I've just discovered that making it a routine that I respect and do every single day has had an enormous impact on how clearly I am able to think and just generally how well I feel these days.
that view is amazing!!
I know!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this topic. I try to take time off daily for my meditation. Since having a little child I spend more time with her and less on my Mac or phone which is awesome to disconnect and recharge😃
Good for you, @fredrikaa. As we get busier and busier, the art of doing nothing becomes of paramount importance. And, it's not really 'doing nothing' either -- that's false advertising -- it's more like 'being everything.' The contemplative life is not passive. This I've learned over decades as a reader, writer and thinker.
And, that's precisely how I check out and meditate: reading, writing, thinking... which helps me slow down to a stillness, so that I can do something deeper than thinking: Being.
Silence helps to take me there as well as walks, too, in connecting to nature and, if I'm lucky, bird-watching :)
Wishing you a pleasant and restorative weekend, my friend
_/|\_Oh man, I just feel that I've been through some things that you are talking about, especially the workaholic stuff. And not just the idea of being busy, but of being productive and that what we are doing has a positive impact, In my case, I tend to be very perfectionist, and that has often brought me to the edge of a breaking point, mostly emotionally.
Luckily I started training very often a year ago, and that has been my way of keeping my mind healthy and away from those excesses, anxiety attacks and those problems I had have almost completely disappeared.
I think we have to rethink our idea of what it means to "do nothing", because "do nothing" should really mean to do something, because in that time when we do nothing we are dealing with things that are very important too.
not everything is work, interpersonal relationships are also important, being in connection with the environment and nature, remembering where we come from... etc.
Wow, this photo is so peaceful that I feel good in my own chair just looking at it. Great scene, great photo
That's really cool! I have to say I felt the same looking through it and the other pictures I took that evening.
Thanks for coming by and leaving a comment!
..better: doing nothing at this beautiful place...enjoy..